Cooperate and Walk in the Hallways

The following is a script we developed for our Elementary Citizenship Theme "To Cooperate and Walk in the Hallways." Students chose to include characters from Maurice Sendak's book, Where the Wild Things Are, put them in a school setting and show how they were 'tamed' into cooperative citizens using the hallways. (The wild things were tamed with our school's "Give Me Five" hand signal representing: respect, learning, responsibility, attitude and honesty.) Assorted puppets, costumes and props were used. Students who did not want to speak elected to pantomime or create sound effects with a variety of musical instruments.

You may use our script or assist your students in writing their own original skit.

Characters: (for 15 students)

Trees (wear ivy garlands on heads and along arms)
Fish/Ocean Waves (use fish hats and scarves for wave movements)
Sound Effects A (uses windchimes, cymbals)
Sound Effects B (uses wave drum)
Shadow Max (S Max)
Shadow Wild Thing #1 (Wild #1)
Shadow Wild Thing #2 (Wild #2)
Shadow Wild Thing #3 (Wild #3)
Shadow Wild Thing #4 (Wild #4)
Shadow Wild Thing #5 (Wild #5)
Max Puppet
Wild Thing Puppet #1 (Puppet #1)
Wild Thing Puppet #2 (Puppet #2)
Wild Thing Puppet #3 (Puppet #3)
Wild Thing Puppet #4 (Puppet #4)

Scene One
Puppeteers are downstage right at mic. Sound effects people are downstage left at second mic. Shadow characters are upstage.

Max: Hi! My name is Max. I would like to tell you my story. It all began the day I put on my wolfsuit. I was at school and just standing in the hall. When all of a sudden, something strange happened.

S Max: ( Enter stage left. Stand with arms crossed.)

A: (Create magical windchimes sound.)

Trees: (Enter stage right. Slowly move and create movement for growing trees as Max narrates. Freeze shape at ocean sound.)

Max: First one little root grew. Then another. And another. Then a branch grew. And another branch.  Until I was surrounded by trees. Right in the middle of the hall! Then another strange thing happened.

A: (Repeat magical windchimes sound.)

Max: An ocean tumbled by. And there was a boat! With my name on it!

Wave: (Enter stage right. Slowly move scarves to center stage and move rhythmically.)

B: (Continue to create ocean sounds until Max exits boat.)

Max: So, of course I stepped into the boat and pulled up the anchor. I hoisted the sail. Then I looked for land

S Max: (Step into imaginary boat. Pull up anchor. Hoist sail. Look through imaginary binoculars.)

Max: I sailed in and out of weeks and over a year. Into the School of the Wild Things!

S Max: (Step out of imaginary boat. Exit stage left.)

Puppet #1: Hi! We are Max's friends. We once were Wild Things. But, not anymore. We want to tell you what it was likebefore Max came to our school.

Wild #1-5: (Enter stage left. Pantomime wild animal actions. Then freeze.)

Puppet #1: We never cooperated and walked down the hall. We pushed. We shoved. No one watched his self space!

Wild #1-3: (Slowly fight with swords for 10 counts. Then freeze.)

Wild #4-5: (Pretend to push each other in slow motion. Count to 10. Then exit stage left.)

A: (Create sounds with cymbals. Stop when sword fight stops.)

Puppet #2: It was awful! There was so much noise in the halls. Everyone talked. And all the Wild Things ROARED! THEIR TERRIBLE ROARS!!

A & B: (ROAR into mic to the count of 10.)

Wild #1-3: (Turn downstage and ROAR for 10 counts..)

Wild #4-5: (Turn downstage and LAUGH and TALK for 10 counts.)

Puppet #3: You know what I didn't like? I spent hours making the halls look great for our visitors. And everything was ripped up!

Wild #1-5: (Pantomime ripping papers and popping balloons for 10 counts. Freeze.)

A: (Slowly rip paper into mic.for 10 counts.)

B: (Slowly make sound on washboard for 10 counts.)

Puppet #3: No one respected property. They went down the hall banging on our lockers.

Wild #1-3: (Pantomime banging with your fists. Freeze after 10.)

B: (Create sound on drum until Wild Things Freeze.)

Puppet #4: The Wild Things never walked down the hall. They never stayed with their line. They stomped! They ran! They would swing from the ceiling!

Wild #1-5: (Listen for cues and make shadow shapes for Wild Things' actions. Freeze..)

Puppets #1-4: The Wild Things bothered the classroom learners!

Wild #1-5: (Face downstage and make faces, wave and jump up and down. Count to 10. Freeze.)

Puppet #4: They never stayed to the right!

Wild #1-5: (Weave back and forth in a zig-zag line. Freeze when you hear "Give me 5 at PLS.")

Max: Then I walked right up to the Wild Things and tamed them with a magic trick. (Raise your hand in the "Give me 5 at PLS.")

S Max: (Enter from stage left. Raise your hand in the "Give me 5 at PLS.")

Max: I said, " GIVE ME 5 AT PLS!" (Raise hand.)

Puppet #1-4: What did you say Max?

Max: I said, "GIVE ME 5 AT PLS!" (Raise hand.)

Wild #1-5: (Freeze.) "What did you say?"

Max: "GIVE ME 5 AT PLS!"

S Max: "GIVE ME 5 AT PLS!"

A & B: "GIVE ME 5 AT PLS!"

Puppet #1-4: "GIVE ME 5 AT PLS!"

Wild #1-5: (Form a straight line, hands to sides, walk in a line quietly pretending you are going down the hall. Show cooperation, self space, etc. Stand downstage.. Form a line. Wait for others. Bow when you hear the "Wild Thing" music.)

S Max: (Follow Shadow Wild Things to downstage for Bow. Wait for Wild Thing Theme.

A& B: (When the Wild Things face the audience for their bows, join them. Wait for Wild Thing music and bow.)

Puppets #1-4: (When the Wild Things face the audience for their bows, join them. Wait for Wild Thing music and bow.)

Max: (When the Wild Things face the audience for their bows, join them. Wait for Wild Thing music and bow.)

Waves & Trees: (When the Wild Things face the audience for their bows,join them. Wait for Wild Thing music and bow.)


Copyright BAH 2001